Five children, four women rescued from human trafficking in Kansas City area

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Federal Bureau of Investigation Kansas City Division investigated underage sex trafficking from Oct. 13 to Oct. 16 as part of Operation Cross Country X.

According to a news release from the FBI, Operation Cross Country X is an international effort to rescue victims of sex trafficking and arrest sex traffickers.

In the Kansas City area, the FBI rescued five children and four women from human trafficking operations. The FBI arrested 12 pimps and 14 Johns in relation to these victims.

Law enforcement in the Kansas City area helped the FBI, including the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department, the Kansas City, Ks. Police Department and several other law enforcement agencies.

The FBI investigated similar situations in other cities around the country. The FBI also corresponded with foreign authorities in Canada, Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines to recover victims of human trafficking.

Total, the FBI rescued 82 minors and arrested 239 traffickers and their associates in the United States.

"The exploitation of a child being sold for sex is an abhorrent crime preying on the innocent and vulnerable. The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating this threat to children across the nation and the globe. We will work vigorously with our law enforcement partners to protect and rescue these victims," FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson said in a news release.